The National Pulse

Louis Meintjes, president of TLU SA explains why they have asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to set up a judicial commission to investigate the illegal trade in cigarettes Guest: Louis Meintjes, President of TLU SA

Today on Both Sides of the Story we ask – how do we preserve jobs during Covid19? South Africa is facing an unemployment crisis due to Covid-19. The National Coronavirus Command Council chairperson Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has predicted a 50% in job losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic.... Guests: Thapelo Maleke, President of the South African Youth Chamber of Commerce Guests: Dr Azar Jammin...

Latest News, Trends, and light features for an afternoon commute- Business, Traffic, Weather and Sport

Four Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers who tested positive for Covid-19 reportedly continued working without being quarantined, while awaiting test results. Guest: JMPD spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar

We continue yesterday's discussion on the 5 Eastern Cape nurses who have been reinstated by the health department. The 5 nurses were allegedly suspended for refusing to attend to a Covid-19 patient without personal protective equipment (PPE) at Grey Hospital in King William's Town. Yesterday we spoke to Khaya Sodidi, Provincial Secretary of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, DENO...

70% of businesses In the hair and beauty salons face closure due to the national lockdown restrictions which are still in place. This as other sectors of the economy prepare to reopen on the 1st of June, following President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement that the country will move to alert level 3. Guest: Cobus Grobler, National Manager of Employers Organisation for Hairdressing, Cosmetology and B...

The Democratic Nurses Union of South Africa (Denosa) in KwaZulu- Natal has warned the department of health in the province that nurses won’t wear their uniforms on June 1st in protest against the department’s failure to pay the annual nurses uniform allowance since last month. Guest: Mandla Shabangu, DENOSA Provincial Secretary. Mobile

Martha Shumba, a Zimbabwean activist based in South Africa and an executive member of the coalition against sanctions forum – gives us an update on the forum’s fight against sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by USA, EU and Britain. About two months ago EU suspended restrictive measures against four individuals in the country namely; Grace Mugabe, VP Constantino Chiwenga, Agriculture Minister and forme...

With the 1st of June around the corner, we speak to KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Education about the plans for the reopening of schools and the province’s state of readiness. Guest: Kwazi Mshengu, MEC for Education in KwaZulu-Natal

The Western Cape Department of Education says the necessary protocols have been rolled out at the two schools in Cape Town where staff have tested positive for COVID 19. Scores of teachers returned to school yesterday. The Parkvale Primary School in Bishop Lavis and Hague Primary School have been temporarily closed. Guest: Western Cape Education Department spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond

Today on Both Sides of Story we ask: Was the National Coronavirus Command Council correct in not lifting the ban on cigarette sales – is it fair to single out Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for being the brain behind the ban? Joining us for this discussion is… Guests: Bev Maclean, Consumer activist who started an online petition against the ban on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products Pule Mab...

The Eastern Cape health department has reinstated five nurses who were allegedly suspended for refusing to attend to a Covid-19 patient without personal protective equipment (PPE) at Grey Hospital in King William's Town. The Democratic Nursing Organization of South Africa, DENOSA, in the Eastern Cape say by the time the PPEs was made available to the nurses the patient had died Guest: Khaya Sodidi...

250 academics and scientists have come out in support of Professor Glenda Gray, the advisory panel member who went public with her criticism of government's lockdown strategy, and claimed that it was not based on scientific fact. The 250 experts are throwing their weight behind Professor Grey and 'academic freedom' after Acting Director-General of the Health Department, Anban Pillay, called for in...

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation is calling on government to set up a COVID-19 corruption tribunal. They say this will ensure that funds dedicated to the social and economic relief reach those that need them the most. Joining us to elaborate further on this is Guest: Nishan Bolton – Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation

On World News today we focus on French politics: The party of French President Emmanuel Macron has lost its outright majority in parliament, after a group of MPs broke away to form a new party. Their decision leaves Macron's party with 288 seats, one short of a majority in the 577-seat lower house. One other worrying issue for President Macron is that his ratings have dipped during France's corona...

Today being Africa Day we speak to Ebrahim Rasool, founder of OneAfrica – an organisation founded on the idea that peace and collaboration among the people of Africa will help unlock the continent’s prosperity. As part of their Covid-19 response, OneAfrica has launched a platform on its website to allow individuals and corporates to play their part in equipping those who are most vulnerable with t...

In conversation with Dr Sello Galane about the role of music in promoting peace on the African continent. On Monday, Africans will be celebrating Africa Day under the theme “Let the drums roll and the guns be silenced”. This year’s theme encourages everybody from anywhere in Africa and the world to grab their drum or any percussion instrument on Africa Day to join the chorus for peace and to stop...

What’s happening in the Tech world? Today we focus on Innovations and Inventions. According to Mic Mann “Innovation holds the key to the exponential solutions that can solve our education, energy, health, poverty, food and water challenges” Guest: Mic Mann, Ceo of Singularity-U South Africa And Director Of Mann-Made

The United Kingdom says they will work with the African Union to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Africa. The UK will also invest R450 million to the AU's coronavirus response fund. Another key announcement is an additional 10 charter flights to get British Travellers home. To elaborate further on the two Initiatives, we are now joined on the line by Mr Nigel Casey, the British High Commissio...

The CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, Professor Glenda Gray, has sought to explain her comments over government's Risk-Adjusted Strategy for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Gray has come under fire for labelling the strategy "unscientific". Gray says she merely suggested that all regulations be solely focused on prevention as well as minimizing transmission of the disease....

We dissect the outcomes of the survey that was recently conducted by AskAfrika. The results show that as lockdown restrictions ease, many people do not feel safe to return to work. The survey also unpacks the significant social changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the results show that the sense of “managing” with the lockdown has significantly dropped from 52% in week one to 23% curren...

As the race to develop a vaccine for Covid19 continues across the globe. Some people believe that China still faces the big challenge of a potential second wave of Covid-19 infections. Currently, three Chinese vaccines are under clinical trials in the country and so far the country has reported more than 82,000 coronavirus cases, with at least 4,633 deaths. However it must be mentioned that China’...

Thousands of informal traders across Gauteng are deeply concerned that Government has not consulted them to understand the impact of the lockdown on their livelihoods. Guest: Ntakuseni Tshikosi, Public Relations for Johannesburg Informal Traders Platform

Minister Sisulu updates us on her clean-up campaign in the ministry of human settlements, water and sanitation. You may recall that recently she appointed Terry Motau to lead lawyers in reviewing all fraud, corruption and irregular expenditure reports in her department. Guest: Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Human Settlements, Water & Sanitation

The Standing Committee on Appropriations yesterday received a briefing from the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) and the National Treasury regarding the recent liquidity challenges facing the entity. We now speak to the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Sfiso Buthelezi, who says the Bank is too important to fail Guest: Sfiso Buthelezi, Chair...